Sidewinder Insider Archives - Page 11 of 27

In praise of grassroots soccer

**Greenville FC and Chattanooga FC square off at Sirrine Stadium. (Scott Adamson photo)**

Supporting local soccer is quite convenient for me considering the local soccer team I support plays just a little over two miles from my house.

**Scott Adamson’s column on soccer appears periodically, usually when he’s feeling especially soccerish.**

That team is Greenville Football Club, the National Premier Soccer League squad that wrapped up its 2019 regular season on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Chattanooga FC.

After calling Furman University’s Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium home in their inaugural campaign last year, they moved to venerable Sirrine Stadium this summer.

My latest trip to the historic venue (it’s been around for 83 years and its concrete steps and seating show it) served a couple of purposes.

One, it allowed me to buy a ticket and contribute a few dollars to GVLFC, which is important. Investing in community soccer involves your money as well as your time.

And two, I got to see the club that I “own.”

I joined 3,287 of my closest friends and bought a combined $880,750 worth of equity shares in Chattanooga FC. This club, grounded in a community-based philosophy, is the model for everything right about American soccer – and everything it could be.

I wanted to be a (small) part of it all, even though Friday was the first time I’d ever actually seen them play live.

It was a fun night.

I spent most of it roaming the stadium, taking turns eavesdropping on the respective supporters groups (the Milltown Operatives and Chattahooligans) and enjoying an intense match.

Thing is, had brothers Marco and Richard Carrizales not decided to put an NPSL club in the Upstate of South Carolina, I might still be largely ignorant when it comes to lower division soccer.

Like a lot of other people I know, I’d fallen into the trap of “big box” American soccer, convincing myself that since it had “Major League” in its title it was the only domestic brand of association football I needed to follow.

Oh, over the years I’d kept up with the Atlanta Ruckus/Silverbacks in the A-League, United Soccer Leagues First Division and rebooted North American Soccer League, and cheered for the New York Cosmos when they rose from the soccer grave, but paid no attention to the adult amateur game.

Turns out, though, I had it all backwards. Without strong grassroots soccer, the sport will eventually wither away in this country.

So when I found out the NPSL was coming to town, I started doing research on the league. That led to several other “discoveries,” such as the United Premier Soccer League, Women’s Premier Soccer League and other circuits that often operated (and still operate) far from the spotlight.

GVLC proved to be my gateway club, leading me to find and embrace Asheville City SC and soak in the cool soccer cultures of my two favorite Villes.

From there I learned the story of Chattanooga FC, which led me to start following another community-first club, Detroit FC, and others that are building from the ground up instead of the billionaire down.

It wasn’t long before I concluded the Beautiful Game was still quite attractive even without a $200 million franchise fee.

I’m immersed in the highs and lows and successes and failures of lower division soccer, and now I find myself absorbing all I can about the myriad men’s and women’s teams scattered throughout the country.

Had I stayed in my bubble, I might’ve thought the dormancy (and likely death) of the modern NASL meant my longtime support of the Cosmos was pointless.

But here they are – undefeated in NPSL play, expected to challenge for a title, and then heading to the Founders Cup (a professional offshoot of NPSL) in the fall.

More immediately, though, I’m excited about this weekend’s NPSL playoffs.

Lee Squires’ Greenville squad stands at 5-1-4, wrapped up the second seed in the South Region Southeast Conference Division playoffs behind Chattanooga, and has shown great improvement from 2018’s maiden voyage team.

Asheville City SC and Inter Nashville SC fill out the four-team playoff field in an elimination event that will take place at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga Friday and Saturday.

A couple of years ago, I wouldn’t care a thing about the NPSL postseason. Hell, I wouldn’t even know about it.

Now I do.

It reminds me of a scene in the movie “Damned United” when manager Brian Clough is trying to put assistant Peter Taylor in his place.

Taylor was having none of it.

“Oh, yes, you’re the shop window, I grant you that,” Taylor said. “The razzle and the bloody dazzle. But I’m the goods in the back!”

Thanks to Greenville FC, I’m no longer starstruck by the razzle and the dazzle of franchise soccer. My hometown club helped me realize the goods in the back are just two miles from my house.

Me, Mia Hamm, and playing like a girl

**Memorabilia from the 1996 Olympic Games reminds me of a story that I’ll be more than happy to tell …**

So, have you ever played soccer against Mia Hamm?

**Scott Adamson’s sports column appears pretty much whenever he feels like writing it.**

I have.

Yessir … she and I shared Berylson Soccer Park (now Preston Goldfarb Field at Berylson Soccer Park) on a hot July day in Birmingham, Alabama, and she even blocked one of my shots from her goalkeeper spot.

“Wait a minute,” you say. “Mia Hamm (now Mia Hamm-Garciaparra) played forward for the United States Women’s National Team. She was a two-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most famous women’s soccer players of all time.

“And you’re … you. What could possibly put you two on the same field at the same time?”

Glad you asked.

Back in 1995 – a year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games where Birmingham’s Legion Field was a designated venue for men’s and women’s soccer competition – Birmingham-Southern College hosted a “One Year Out” extravaganza.

Aside from a news conference featuring Hamm and Hank Steinbrecher (former secretary-general of the United States Soccer Federation), there was a soccer match between media members and Birmingham’s Olympic organizers.

During warm ups, Hamm (who hung around to watch but didn’t actually play in the game) invited anyone who was interested to grab a ball and take a few shots at her.

I was anyone and I was interested, so I did.

Best I recall, I sent a slow worm-burner straight at her feet … the ball might’ve even stopped before it reached her.

I was a tad nervous, and although I played high school soccer it had been many, many years since I “suited up.” Plus, my skill level was always closer to George Worst than George Best.

Still, if I want to claim I played soccer against one of the sport’s greatest stars, I can.

And just did.

It’s a huge exaggeration that could easily be classified as a lie, of course. However, when you get to interact with one of your sports idols, you take liberties.

The women’s teams that have represented the United States in the World Cup and Olympics have been dear to me since the first WWC in 1991.

It wasn’t just that they showed Americans were capable of being elite soccer players – although they most certainly did – it was because I already had great respect for the women’s game.

See, back in 1978 when I played for the Huffman High School boys, we scrimmaged the girls team.

I’d love to tell you that before then I was already a strong proponent of sports equality, but I’d be lying.

I doubt I gave it much thought at all because I was too busy working twice as hard just to be half as good as the other guys on my team.

And before our scrimmage, I’m sure I assumed we’d have a relatively easy time, especially since both teams were told to treat it like an actual match and play as hard as we could.

Details from 41 years ago are a bit sketchy, but the one thing I remember is the final score was 2-2.

I don’t recall who scored for either side – I have no memory how many times I was beaten to a ball – but a draw in a game seen by no one other than the coaches and participants forever altered my view of sports.

The phrase “you play like a girl” suddenly became a compliment.

By the time women’s soccer became a “thing” I was already a fan, so when Hamm showed up in Birmingham it was hard not to be a fan boy.

And my appreciation for women’s soccer has only grown over the years, extending far beyond my borders. I love seeing the different teams, different stars and different styles from across the globe. When the world comes together for the Beautiful Game, it makes things seem even more beautiful.

Covering Olympic soccer in Birmingham in 1996 allowed me to watch Japan, Brazil and Germany play, and I was introduced to Brazilian star Pretinha, who scored four goals in the tourney and became one of my favorite athletes.

And although the U.S. team never made a stop at Legion Field during those Games, I still saw players such as Hamm, Briana Scurry and Brandi Chastain when they came to town to play friendlies.

By the time the 1999 WWC came along, I felt like I knew the American squad.

After Chastain’s spot kick – and Scurry’s brilliant performance in goal – lifted the U.S. to a 0-0 (5-4) victory over China in the final, everybody knew the “99ers.”

The WWC has taken up a great deal of my viewing time over the last month, and I hope today’s final between the United States and the Netherlands is a classic.

Regardless of how it plays out, it gave me a great excuse to talk about the time I played against Mia Hamm.

Have I told you that story before?

Women’s World Cup is more than a soccer tournament

**Unity FC’s Harlie Ford (19) says the 2011 WWC pulled her in as a fan. (photo courtesy of Unity FC)**

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

The FIFA Women’s World Cup debuted in 1991 and has since evolved into a true sports spectacle. This year’s event – starting Friday in France with the hosts taking on South Korea at Parc des Princes in Paris – offers more prize money than ever before ($4 million to the winners and $30 million distributed) and total in-game attendance is expected to be near one million.

More than 720,000 tickets had been sold 50 days ahead of the Cup, and the opening match as well as the semi-finals and final are already sold out.

**The Citadel coach Ciaran Traquair has a keen interest in the WWC.**

A global television audience of 764 million watched the WWC in 2015, and those numbers are projected to be even larger this time around.

In short, the month-long competition will be yet another testament to the rapid growth of women’s soccer and a feast for supporters all over the planet.

The United States is currently ranked No. 1 in the world and comes in as defending champions of the competition. Twelve players from that squad are back, including Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe.

France is also one of the favorites to lift the Cup, buoyed by the 1-2 punch of Kadidiatou Diani and Eugenie Le Sommer. The fact that Corinne Diacre’s charges spend the entire tourney in friendly confines also provides a big advantage.

But there are plenty of other countries in the mix, with Germany, England, Japan and the Netherlands leading the way.

Certainly the teams will be eyed closely by those who play and coach the game, such as Unity FC’s Harlie Ford and The Citadel gaffer Ciaran Traquair. Their interest goes beyond a quadrennial showcase.

For them, the World Cup lets the world see what they do day in and day out.

Ford is a 21-year-old defender for the Deltona, Florida-based club, which plays in the Florida Central Division of the United Premier Soccer League’s Southeast Conference. A standout on the field and in the classroom, soccer has been a major part of her life for most of her life.

Already a graduate of Stetson University, she’ll play collegiately for Webber International University as a student assistant in the fall.

Unity’s team captain and among its career leaders in minutes played, Ford is a fierce defender who can also step up and be a presence wherever needed on the roster. She even filled in as goalkeeper in a match last season, recording a clean sheet.

Traquair is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Bulldogs’ women’s soccer team. His 2018 club finished 9-10, marking the most wins for the program since the 2010 campaign. Kessy Bradshaw was The Citadel’s first postseason award winner since 2014 when she was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team last fall.

Before coming to The Military College of South Carolina, Traquair coached three All-South Atlantic Conference performers and the SAC Freshman of the Year at Division II Anderson University in the Palmetto State.

One of his former AU players, Idoia Agirre, currently plays professionally for SD Eibar in Spain.

Traquair is a native of Scotland and played soccer at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, before going on to suit up for Mississippi Brilla FC and Chattanooga FC.

He’s been coaching since 2007, with his first head coaching job coming at Wesleyan College.

The player and coach were asked to provide their perspectives on World Cup 2019, and here’s what they had to say:

The first WWC was in 1991 and it has grown in stature ever since. Which was the first one you remember watching?

Harlie Ford: The first WWC I remember really being invested in has to be the tournament from 2011. It was the last year Abby Wambach played, and the U.S. took the pitch by storm, playing with such great energy, up until Japan took us down in penalties. Every game was close, I think three of the games in the knockout round went to penalties. Pretty awesome soccer all around.

Ciaran Traquair: I think the 2011 World Cup was one of the first instances where I looked on with added interest. Germany had done a fantastic job of making it a true spectacle like they have done before on the men’s side on many occasions. It was probably the first time I started witnessing genuine direct competition for the U.S. women’s national team. Several countries had really advanced their women’s game from top to bottom, and it was showing on the highest stage.

What match stands out most in your mind, and what player do you remember best?

Harlie Ford: Again, I have to go back to the final of the 2011 Cup. Every time the U.S. thought they had it, Japan would come back with such fury, refusing to be beat. Wambach was insane, though, matching their tempo and was the only U.S. player to score on penalties. Even though the result didn’t slide in our favor, it was a good note for her to retire off of. It also helps that we ended up getting Japan back for the loss in 2015.

Ciaran Traquair: Probably the 2011 final between Japan and the USA. Japan ended up winning on penalties after a 2-2 draw after extra time. It was Japan’s first World Cup win and it was done with a bit of style and class. Aya Miyama was a player who stood out. I was fortunate to train alongside her on a few occasions in the summer of 2010. A good friend was on staff at the now defunct Atlanta Beat. We were drafted in as the opposition ‘scout team’ in preparation for one of their upcoming games. Miyama was a fantastic player up close, and it was outstanding to go on and see her score in a World Cup final.

How important do you think the WWC has been in not just getting young women interested in soccer, but in athletics overall?

Harlie Ford: The 2015 WWC saw record television ratings and a dramatic increase in game attendance. All eyes were on these lady ballers and they all performed above expectations. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that the WWC has encouraged thousands, if not millions, of young women to challenge adversity in sports and to go out there and be active. In countries where there wasn’t a place for women’s soccer, we are seeing clubs and teams rise up and flourish, which makes the world all the better for it. National teams that used to be known for an easy match (i.e., South Africa vs. USA this past May) have proven their resilience and growth. The women’s game is changing and I am personally so excited for it. I hope this World Cup proves to be just as inspiring as the rest.

Ciaran Traquair: I don’t think we can underestimate the hype and excitement that this World Cup has already created worldwide. The message is always clear from the top athletes in the women’s game – believe in yourself, work hard, don’t let anyone tell you can’t do it. The women involved in the WWC are top professionals who set a great example of the heights a young girl can aim for. For me, being active, involving yourself in sports, and realizing your competitive potential is exactly what this WWC should bring out in young people. On top of that, let’s hope that young girls see the true fun and enjoyment of this sport and tournament.

Finally, who is your favorite in this year’s WWC and who is your dark horse?

Harlie Ford: As much as I would love to root for the U.S., I think France is by far the favorite for this tournament. Their technical skill and calm control of the pitch is beyond admirable and it looks like they are going to be a heavy hitter this year. I’m going to put England up as a dark horse, simply because of the energy coming out of their head coach (Phil Neville). It’s clear that he loves his team and I think he makes the game more about his players than the result, which is a great way to build character and chemistry. I would also like to give Jamaica a good run at the tourney. I played against Jody Brown, who is one of the youngest players at this Cup, and I would love to see her go all the way. Regardless, I am certain she will be making waves and I hope to buy her jersey one day.

Ciaran Traquair: I’ll have to side with France since they have home advantage. It was a huge advantage for the French men’s national team at the recent World Cup. France WNT are a quality side, and they will be playing in front of a full house for every game. The expectation of the French people will be to win the whole thing. A lot of the French squad play their club football at Lyon (the best women’s club team in the world). My dark horse would have to be Scotland – solely because of my allegiance and it being their first ever tournament. Good luck to (manager) Shelley Kerr and the squad.